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Dirk Morgan, one of the trusted members of a powerful band of international crooks, received word that the steamer Empress left Melbourne with a secret consignment of gold; the letter also contains plans of the steamer's hold and cabins. Dirk books passage for himself and Anne and they board the steamer at Sidney. Anne, who has deserted her husband and baby a year before to go with Dirk, is now tiring of the life she is leading and is filled with remorse when she thinks of her little daughter, Stella, and her husband. Dirk manages to secure the bow cabin and cuts a hole through the partition, thereby working his way to the vault wherein the gold is secured. By means of an electric drill he gains entrance to the vault and removes the gold. This he places in a canvas bag. He also fills a pillow case with provisions from the ship's stores room, through which he passes on his way to the vault. These he stows in the life boat of the bow cabin and plans to cut same loose and drift away in the dark that night. He also plans to blow up the boat by means of an electric fuse to prevent himself and Anne being overtaken. That night the ship gives a party for children and Anne, while waiting on the deck for Dirk hears a voice which she thinks she recognizes. She creeps to the dining saloon and there sees her little daughter singing, and learns that both her husband and child are passengers on the ship. This decides her; she cannot go through with Dirk's plans and murder her own child. She rushes into the cabin and, grabbing the electric bomb, makes for the deck and after a fierce struggle with Dirk, who meets her as she is leaving the cabin, she throws the bomb into the water, thus causing an explosion. The passengers and ship's officers rush from the saloon to learn the trouble. They come upon Dirk and Anne struggling. Dirk has a pistol and is firing shots at Anne. He is held by two sailors and he and Anne taken to the saloon. Stella and her father come on with the rest of the passengers and Stella sees and recognizes her mother. She runs to her, calling mama. In the excitement Dirk breaks away from the sailors who are holding him and clambers up the mast to the main deck. The sailors rush on deck to look for Dirk and, discovering him, begin to fire at him. He is hit and falls from the main mast into the sea. In the saloon a reconciliation takes place between Anne and her husband through Stella, who refuses to be separated from her mother.
—Moving Picture World synopsis
